Anglican Priest Arrested In Moscow For Smuggling Cocaine

An Anglican priest from Colombia was arrested in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JANUARY 30, 2013) (FEDERAL DRUG CONTROL SERVICE) - An Anglican priest from Colombia, who attempted to smuggle cocaine into Russia in his stomach, was detained in Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport, the Federal Drug Control Service said on Wednesday (January 30).

The Colombian citizen, who has been identified as Fabio Ricardo Rodriguez, a priest in the Holy Catholic Church-Western Rite in Bogota, was taken to hospital where 13 containers with cocaine were extracted from his stomach and intestines. Five more containers were found in his luggage, Russia's Drug Control Service reported.

The Cocaine was packed in condoms that the priest had swallowed in an attempt to get the drugs through Russian customs undetected.

The priest, who was later placed into a metal cage, said that he had been forced by a Columbian mafia group to attempt bringing the cocaine to Russia.

"This is a rather difficult situation for me as a religious person, a priest. A mafia group from my country Colombia made me do it," he said.

The police became suspicious of Rodriguez because of his sickly appearance and nervous behaviour, Drug Control Service said.